On this episode, we have Loren Poncia who is a rancher and the owner at Stemple Creek Ranch.

Stemple Creek is supporting regenerative agriculture with their regeneratively-raised beef, lamb, pork, and chicken products mainly sold via their website directly to consumers and also available via select farmers' markets, restaurants, and retailers. Stemple Creek’s home ranch in Northern California stretches over more than 1,000 acres and their overall operation manages more than 8,000 acres of land.

In this episode, Loren details the family’s journey from conventional dairy to regenerative beef production, why they ended up starting a brand even though he “never wanted to be in the meat business,” and how they’ve grown to a multi-million dollar regional brand over the past decade.

Stemple Creek’s commitment to honesty, transparency, and quality was very apparent as Loren shared the story of managing their ranch, developing their brand, and growing their business. He shared his three keys to cracking the code on premium quality and taste in grass-fed beef, how their brand is approaching regenerative certification, and the challenges of maintaining a fresh meat program year-round.

Episode Highlights:

🥩 Building a $10M regional regenerative meat brand

💰 Rotational grazing for profitability - not product claims

😯 Operating 15 enterprises on their home ranch

💃 Why regenerative is a “constant dance with Mother Nature”

🔑 3 major keys for the highest quality grass-fed beef

🍽️ How Bay area restaurants boosted their business

☑️ Being “first person certified” instead of third-party certified

🦆 The 55 migratory bird species that live at the ranch

👉 Pricing difference for domestic vs imported grassfed beef

🔮 Succession planning and long-term employee ownership

Links:

Stemple Creek Ranch

The Omnivore’s Dilemma

Chez Panisse

Sunday Marin Farmers Market

Zuni Café

American Wolf

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Force of Nature Meats

Ranching For Profit

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